A "Second Coming"? The Return of German Political Theory

This article examines the political theories of Theodor Adorno and Hannah Arendt in light of shared theoretical concerns and the discussion generated by their recent centenaries (2003 and 2006, respectively). I argue that Adorno's tremendously influential critique of identity philosophies is of limited value when it comes to political thinking, in large part because he neglects to give serious thought to the problem of institutionalizing freedom. In contrast, the notion of human “plurality” is central to Arendt's political thought and is set within a rich conceptualization of the public realm and its legal and institutional preconditions.